Coin sorter



March 27, 1962 A. R. BUCHHOLZ ETAL 3,026,982

COIN SORTER 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed Feb. 13, 1956 March 27, 1962 A. R. BUCHHOLZ ETAL 3,026,932

COIN SORTER Original Filed Feb. 13, 1956 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 I I I I I I I I s3 I I I I I I I I I I I March 2 A. R. BUCHHOLZ ETAL 3,026,982

COIN SORTER 4 Shecs-Sheet 3 Original Filed Feb. 13, 1956 Fae. 5

ans 1! Fa e. 3

INVENTORS BY G. Ll) E MQT-d' .fllfils March 27, 1962 Original Filed Feb. 15, 1956 A. R. BUCHHOLZ ET AL COIN SORTER 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 3I5\ 25 5.. we 329 7 i) United States Patent 3,026,982 COIN SORTER Arnold R. Buchholz and Frank Haban, Watertown, and Ray A. Weeks, Milwaukee, Wis., assignors to Brandt Automatic Cashier Company, Watertown, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Original application Feb. 13, 1956, Ser. No. 565,130. D1-

vided and this application Feb. 18, 1957, Ser. No. 640,927

3 Claims. (Cl. 194-9) The invention relates to coin sorters.

The object of the invention is to provide a coin sorter of simple construction in which coin operated switches at the sorting stations are used to control ejector solenoids for the sorted coins.

This application is a divisional of application Serial No. 565,130, filed February 13, 1956, of Arnold R. Buchholz, Frank Haban, and Ray A. Weeks, for Coin Sorter and Computer, as to the coin sorter of said application.

The invention further consists in the several features hereinafter described and more particularly defined by claims at the conclusion hereof.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation view of a coin sorter embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a section taken on the broken line 2--2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation view of the sorter;

FIG. 4 is a rear elevation view looking along line 4--4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 55 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is an explanatory circuit diagram.

The sorter mechanism embodies a housing 14 on which a housing C for computer parts and the dollar counter D, more particularly shown and described in the parent application Serial No. 565,130, is mounted.

Housing 14 has an inclined top provided with a ring 15 forming a temporary hopper 16 having an annular bottom plate 17 provided with an outlet opening 18 and a scalloped disk 19 is rotatably mounted over said bottom plate and secured to a centrally disposed shaft 2% journalled in bearings 21 in the housing and carrying a worm wheel 22 meshing with a worm 23 on an extension of the armature shaft of an electric motor 24. A chute structure 25 of the form shown in FIGS. 2, 4 and 5 connects at its upper end with the passage 18 in the hopper bottom so that as the coins of different denominations are carried up one at a time by the scallops of the disk 19 and drop down into said passage, they will be turned on edge as shown in FIG. 6 as they pass into a sorter section 26 shown in detail in FIGS. 5 and 6.

The sorter section is a chute structure of gradually decreasing width from its entrance end to its lowe end along which the coins in edgewise disposition may roll until they are stopped because of the narrower depth of the chute, the positions which the coins of different denominations take during sorting being indicated in dotted in FIG. 5. Just before the coin of any denomination can come to a stop, it contacts and moves the actuator 27 of an electric switch. Thus the half dollar moves its actuator to operate the switch 325, the quarter moves its actuator to operate the switch 315, the nickel moves its actuator to operate the switch 176, the penny moves its actuator to operate the switch 54 and the dime moves its actuator to operate the switch 322. The showing of FIG. 5 is purely to facilitate description and is not an actual showing of the coins during operation of the device since the elevator or disk 19 is so timed that only one coin is in the sorter section at any one time.

As the coins actuate their respective switches 325, 315, 176, 54, and 322, a solenoid having its energizing coil in the circuit controlled by one of these switches and having a pusher or kick out spring returned plunger 28 is operated. These solenoids appear on the wiring diagram FIG. 7 as 57A for the penny, 179 for the nickel, 312 for the quarter, 318 for the dime, and 329 for the half dollar. As the totalizer circuit does not form a part of the present application, the simple circuit diagram FIG. 7 shows the circuit connection between the soiter switches, the solenoids, and a source of current A.

The inner side of the sorter chute is open except for a low coin guide ledge 29, as shown in FIG. 6, so that when the pusher 28 working through an opening 30 in the chute strikes the upper part of the fiat side of a sorted coin, it topples it over the ledge 29 into a coin receiving section 31 which is provided with a series of open top drawers 32 forming coin compartments 33.

Thus the coins are expeditiously sorted and the coins of each denomination delivered to separate receptacles.

We desire it to be understood that this invention is not to be limited to the details of construction herein described except in so far as such limitations are included in the appended claims.

What we claim as our invention is:

1. In a coin sorter for sorting a conglomerate mass of coins of various denominations into groups of coins of specific denomination and diameter having means for initially segregating coins of random diameter from said conglomerate mass and being further arranged for feeding the coins, one at a time, to a coin sorting channel, the combination therewith of: a wedge-like sorting channel having an apertured supporting back plate and spaced opposed upper and lower surfaces extending from said plate and disposed in angularly relative planes to provide a series of laterally spaced sorting stations for coins of different diameters, said channel being tilted with the largest coin diameter sorting station being disposed upwardly relative to the smallest coin diameter station, said channel including a coin supporting marginal guide ledge extending upwardly from the lower surface of said channel and defining an open side wall between said ledge and said upper surface; a plunger at each station arranged to move in an axial direction through an aperture in said back plate and transversely of said guide ledge at a point above the free marginal edge of said ledge; plunger actuator means at each station including an actuator arranged for operation and actuation of said plunger upon engagement by a coin on its arrival at the station, whereby pushing contact of said plunger with a coin wedged between said upper and lower surfaces of said channel at its respective station and, upon actuation thereof, will forceably tip the coin over said ledge through the side wall opening at this station; and a discharge conduit at each sorting station communicating with the open side wall of said channel at this station.

2. In a coin sorter for sorting a conglomerate mass of coins of various denominations into groups of coins ofspecific denominations and diameter having means for initially segregating coins of random diameter from said conglomerate mass and being further arranged for feeding the coins, one at a time, to a coin sorting channel, the combination therewith of: a wedge-like sorting channel having an apertured supporting back plate and spaced opposed upper and lower surfaces extending from said plate and disposed in angularly relative planes to provide a series of laterally spaced sorting stations for coins of different diameters, said channel being tilted with the largest coin diameter sorting station being disposed upwardly relative to the smallest coin diameter station, said channel including a coin supporting marginal guide ledge extending upwardly from the lower surface of said channel and defining an open side wall between said ledge and said upper surface; an electric switch at each station including a coin operated switch circuit closure at each station; a solenoid operated plunger at each station controlled by a respective switch and arranged to move in an axial direction through an aperture in said back plate and transversely of said guide ledge, whereby pushing contact of said plunger with a coin wedged between said upper and lower surfaces of said channel at its respective station and, upon closure of a respective switch, will forceably eject the coins through the side wall opening at this station; and a discharge conduit at each sorting station communicating with the open side wall of said channel at this station.

3. In a coin sorter for sorting a conglomerate mass of coins of various denominations into groups of coins of specific denominations and diameter having means for initially segregating coins of random diameter from said conglomerate mass and being further arranged for feeding the coins, one at a time, to a coin sorting channel, the combination therewith of: a wedge-like sorting channel having an apertured supporting back plate and spaced opposed upper and lower surfaces extending from said plate and disposed in angularly relative planes to provide a series of laterally spaced sorting stations for coins of different diameters, said channel being tilted with the largest coin diameter sorting station being disposed upwardly relative to the smallest coin diameter station said channel including a coin supporting marginal guide ledge extending upwardly from the lower surface of said channel and defining an open side wall between said ledge and said upper surface; an electric switch at each station including a switch actuator arranged for mechanical engagement by a coin on its arrival at this station for circuit closure of said switch; a solenoid operated plunger at each station controlled by a respective switch and arranged to move in an axial direction through an aperture in said back plate and transversely of said guide ledge at a point above the free marginal edge of said ledge, whereby pushing contact of said plunger with a coin wedged between said upper and lower surfaces of said channel at its respective station and, upon actuation of a respective switch by said coin, will forceably tip the coin over said ledge through the side wall opening at the station; and a discharge conduit at each sorting station communicating with the open side wall of said channel at this station.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 574,528 Elder et al. Jan. 15, 1897 1,378,720 Roeling May 17, 1921 1,503,223 Bee July 29, 1924 1,910,978 Allison May 23, 1933 2,289,507 Langer July 14, 1942 2,603,333 Richey July 15, 1952 2,635,730 Seckula Apr. 26, 1953 2,731,124 Kaplanowski Jan. 17, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 62,346 Norway Apr. 15, 1940 280,238 Germany Nov. 10, 1914 318,265 Italy June 7, 1934 538,701 Germany Nov. 20, 1931 

